<\/p>\n
Let the world remember where each nation stood while thousands of innocent civilians, most of them women and children, were being mercilessly slaughtered.<\/p>\n
Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7<\/a> and Israel\u2019s retaliatory bombing of Gaza to wipe out \u201cHamas terrorists\u201d, nation-states and international unions have been divided in their response to the violence. While some have rallied behind Israel, others have called out its war crimes, expressed sympathy and promised aid for the occupied territory of Gaza, and called for either a ceasefire or a humanitarian pause on the attacks.<\/p>\n Amid all this, almost 10,000 civilians<\/a> have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, which have not even spared civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, refugee camps, residential buildings and even UN-run centres in the densely populated Gaza strip. And as if the massacre wasn\u2019t enough, Israel has also stopped the supply of food, water, electricity and even medical supplies to the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n As mass protests have erupted across the world against this \u2018collective punishment\u2019, many world leaders have refused to buckle under the pressure and continued to pledge support for Israel\u2019s actions. Others have expressed strong verbal condemnation of Israeli attacks but stopped well short of taking any action beyond words and scattered aid.<\/p>\n Nowhere is this polarisation more apparent than in the UN, where a resolution calling for a ceasefire was adopted by its General Assembly, with 120 member states voting in its favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions.<\/p>\n Here we take a look at some of the major statements and actions taken by parties in power. Let the world remember where each of them stood as thousands of innocent civilians, the majority of them women and children, were being starved and mercilessly slaughtered in their homes and places of refuge.<\/p>\n On October 24, the UN Secretary-General, Ant\u00f3nio Guterres delivered a speech<\/a> at the UN on the issue. He condemned the Hamas attacks on Israel but was among the few prominent leaders from the Global North who went on to speak of the need to address the root cause of the violence \u2014 the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and the treatment of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli authorities.<\/p>\n \u201cI have condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented October 7 acts of terror by Hamas in Israel. It is important also to recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,\u201d Guterres told the UN Security Council.<\/p>\n The UN chief\u2019s stance has not gone down too well with the Israelis,<\/a> who have accused him of \u201cjustifying terrorism\u201d and called for his immediate resignation.<\/p>\n In a bold move, a top UN official, Craig Mokhiber resigned from his position as the Director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) with a widely-circulated resignation letter<\/a>. He expressed the powerlessness of the UN to stop a genocide that is unfolding right before the world.<\/p>\n In a powerful statement, Mokhiber wrote, \u201cThe European, ethno-nationalist, settler colonial project in Palestine has entered its final phase, toward the expedited destruction of the last remnants of indigenous Palestinian life in Palestine. What\u2019s more, the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe, are wholly complicit in the horrific assault. Not only are these governments refusing to meet their treaty obligations \u2018to ensure respect\u2019 for the Geneva Conventions, but they are in fact actively arming the assault, providing economic and intelligence support, and giving political and diplomatic cover for Israel\u2019s atrocities.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the UN must not forget that it carries with itself the \u201coriginal sin\u201d of facilitating the dispossession of the Palestinian people by ratifying the European settler colonial project that seized Palestinian land and turned it over to the colonists.\u201c<\/p>\n Over the last month, the US has displayed, what can be argued as, unconditional support for Israel even as the latter has gone on a killing spree. In fact, the US has not just cheered on Israel\u2019s actions but also effectively blocked any move to counter them \u2014 be it through providing military assistance to act as a deterrence against any external aggression or by vetoing any resolutions against Israel\u2019s atrocities in the UN Security Council.<\/p>\n Amid all this, President Joe Biden has taken to X regularly to announce the state\u2019s stance, reiterating on multiple occasions that \u201cIsrael has a right to defend itself\u201d.<\/p>\n Not surprisingly, it was Biden who claimed that he had seen pictures of terrorists beheading babies following the Hamas attacks on October 7, which he described as the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Soon after, the White House had to issue a rebuttal<\/a>, saying the claims were based on news reports and statements by the Israeli government.<\/p>\n The same Biden has also cast doubts over the death toll being reported<\/a> by the Gazan health ministry, prompting the latter to issue a complete list of the victims.<\/p>\n During this entire episode, the United States has not once condemned Israel\u2019s actions \u2014 the bombing of hospitals and refugee camps and killing of thousands of civilians \u2014 instead framing it repeatedly as a right to self-defence. The White House has also announced that it will not be drawing any limits for Israel in the war. \u201cWe\u2019re not drawing red lines for Israel,\u201d said John Kirby, the national security spokesperson for the White House on October 28.<\/p>\n But while its leaders have been cheering on the massacre, the US has seen continuous large-scale protests<\/a> across major cities, driving a minor shift in tone from the White House.<\/p>\n While there is still no condemnation \u2014 or even acknowledgement \u2014 of Israeli attacks, especially those on hospitals and most recently, the Jabalia refugee camp remains absent, President Biden has taken to X to highlight the US\u2019 role in ensuring aid reaches Gaza. \u2018Trucks of aid\u2019 and empty words about the dignity of Palestinian lives and a two-state solution have become more regular following public pressure. This marks a shift in Washington\u2019s public tone and support for Israel\u2019s military operations.<\/p>\n President Biden expressed support for a \u201chumanitarian pause<\/a>\u201d for the first time since Israel\u2019s continued attacks on November 2. Israeli and US officials have reported the US Secretary of State saying that such a pause will allow Israel more time<\/a> for its ground offensive while banking on public anger and demonstrations to die down.<\/p>\n China has expressed major strength for the establishment of a Palestinian state from the outset, upsetting its friend Israel in the process. While China enjoys economic relations with Israel, it has also historically championed for Palestinian statehood<\/a> in varying degrees.<\/p>\n On October 8, the Spokesperson for China\u2019s Foreign Ministry issued a statement<\/a> that called for restraint. In a much different tone from its Western counterparts, China did not name or condemn Hamas, saying instead: \u201cThe protracted standstill of the peace process cannot go on. The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine\u201d, and pledged to work with the international community to facilitate peace talks.<\/p>\n The lack of condemnation for Hamas and \u201cIsrael\u2019s loss\u201d received criticism from both Israel and the US, with US Senator Chuck Schumer<\/a> calling on China to put out a stronger statement.<\/p>\n The very next day, the Chinese FO released another statement with a similar essence but with condolences: \u201cWe\u2019re deeply saddened by the civilian casualties and oppose and condemn acts that harm civilians.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a friend to both Israel and Palestine, what we hope to see is the two countries living together in peace and enjoying security and growth together,\u201d said the spokesperson.<\/p>\n With the escalating violence from Israel, China\u2019s condemnations and calls for an immediate ceasefire too have grown.<\/p>\n In the UNSC, China vetoed the US resolution calling for a \u201chumanitarian pause\u201d and stated that it evaded the fact that Palestinian territory has been occupied. It has also expressed grave disappointment<\/a> at US attempts to block ceasefire resolutions in the UN.<\/p>\n Russia has navigated a markedly more balanced response<\/a> compared to the US, with President Vladimir Putin offering to mediate between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire. Citing good relations with both parties, Putin said that this would allow Russia to play a more neutral role, criticising the US over its failure to secure peace and lambasting it for its \u201chandouts\u201d to Palestine while ignoring the root cause of the issue \u2014 the call for Palestinian statehood.<\/p>\n While condemning Hamas\u2019 October 7 attacks on Israel, Putin also warned Israel against the siege of Gaza<\/a>, likening it to the Nazi siege of Leningrad, as well as a ground invasion that would lead to an \u201cunacceptable number of casualties\u201d. On a phone call with Netanyahu<\/a>, Putin also called for \u201cpeaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means,\u201d to which the Israeli President responded that Israel would only stop once Hamas was eliminated.<\/p>\n The UK has expressed outright support for Israel\u2019s right to defend itself, as evidenced by its vote in favour of the US\u2019 draft resolution in the UNSC, votes against Russia\u2019s resolutions and abstention in the Brazil-led resolution which called for humanitarian pauses and a recession of Israel\u2019s evacuation orders to Northern Gaza. Minister for Security, Tom Tungendhat stated in the UN<\/a> that \u201cthe UK stands resolutely with Israel in defending itself against terror.\u201d<\/p>\n Following Biden, Prime Minister Sunak visited Tel Aviv<\/a> to express solidarity with Israel on October 19. While the premier expressed the UK\u2019s commitment to a two-state solution to the conflict, he stated that \u201cHamas will never be allowed to take control of any part of Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n He has also failed to denounce Israel\u2019s bombing of civilians, hospitals and refugee camps. Foreign minister James Cleverly, however, said that London has urged Israel to \u201cshow restraint\u201d<\/a> in military action to minimise civilian harm. Sunak stressed the same to Netanyahu on October 31 on a phone call, while reiterating the UK\u2019s support for Israel to defend itself.<\/p>\n The UK has now shifted to advocate for \u201chumanitarian pauses\u201d to deliver aid and release hostages following increasing domestic<\/a> pressure<\/a>. The UK minister for the Middle East met with Palestinian and Israeli leaders to discuss the same as well as a future political resolution. Britain has not hinted towards any support for a ceasefire so far.<\/p>\n Spain currently holds the presidency over the European Council of the EU till the end of the year. Spain pushed for a ceasefire in the Council which went unaccepted, and instead, the Council agreed to call for humanitarian pauses. Additionally, Spain\u2019s proposal to hold a peace conference \u2014 pushing for a two-state solution \u2014 was accepted. The Spanish Caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged for the conference to be held within six months.<\/p>\n Sanchez said<\/a>, \u201cI would like to see a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes, but if we don\u2019t have that condition, at least a humanitarian pause in order to channel all the humanitarian aid that [the] Palestinian population needs urgently.\u201d<\/p>\n Separately, the acting Spanish Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra termed Israel\u2019s bombing of Palestinian civilians a \u201cplanned genocide<\/a>\u201d and urged the prime minister to use Spain\u2019s current role as the EU Council president to call for sanctions against Israel. She also called on the state\u2019s leadership to bring Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court for war crimes. Similar calls<\/a> were made by Spain\u2019s equality minister, Irene Montero.<\/p>\n The ministers\u2019 statements led to Israel accusing \u201celements in the Spanish government\u201d of siding with \u2018the ISIS-like\u2019 Hamas.<\/p>\n However, the Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, Jos\u00e9 Manuel Albares pointed out that only the prime minister and the foreign affairs minister have the authority to represent Spain\u2019s official foreign policy.<\/p>\n French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel almost two weeks after the Hamas attack, where he met Netanyahu to express France\u2019s \u201cfull solidarity\u201d with Israel.<\/p>\n Speaking at the end of an EU summit in Berlin on October 27, Macron called for an immediate \u201chumanitarian truce\u201d<\/a> \u2014 a statement that went beyond what other EU countries had asked for in their joint statement.<\/p>\n At the same time, his government banned all pro-Palestinian protests,<\/a> with Macron urging citizens not to allow the war in the Mideast erupt into tensions at home.<\/p>\n \u2019\u2019Let us not bring ideological adventures here (to France) by imitation or by projection. Let us not add national fractures \u2026 to international fractures,\u2033 Macron pleaded in a televised address. \u2019\u2019Let us stay united.\u2033<\/p>\n Ireland has expressed strong condemnation of Israeli attacks on Gaza. The FO of Ireland<\/a> stated: \u201cIreland wants to see a permanent and sustainable ceasefire, the lifting of the blockade on Gaza which is at the root cause of this devastating conflict and ultimately the establishment of a two-state solution which is based on the borders of 1967.\u201d<\/p>\n While the statement said it recognised the right of Israel to defend its people, it stated that \u201cany use of military force in self-defence must be in accordance with international humanitarian law, and in particular must be both discriminate and proportionate.\u201d<\/p>\n The office further stated that a lack of any political or economic perspective for the future of Palestinians is a breeding ground for extremist action and calls for lifting the blockade of Gaza.<\/p>\n On November 3, Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, said:<\/a> \u201cWhat I am seeing unfolding at the moment isn\u2019t just self-defence; it resembles something more approaching revenge, and that\u2019s not where we should be.\u201d<\/p>\n The state also announced an additional \u20ac10 million in life-saving aid to Gaza in addition to the previous \u20ac8m given that year via the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)<\/a>.<\/p>\n On October 8, the EU released a statement<\/a> expressing solidarity with Israel \u201cwhich has the right to defend itself in line with international law, in the face of such violent and indiscriminate attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n A week later, the European Council issued a statement<\/a> following a summit in Brussels that set the tone for the Council\u2019s official opinion reiterating the same and calling on Hamas to release all hostages unconditionally. The statement also \u2018reiterated the importance of humanitarian aid\u2019 for Gaza \u201cin coordination with partners, ensuring that terrorist organisations do not abuse such assistance\u201d. Subsequently, the EU announced tripling aid donations for Gaza.<\/p>\n While the EU did not accept calls for an immediate ceasefire, member states accepted calls for \u201chumanitarian pauses<\/a>\u201d to the attacks to ensure aid reaches civilians in Gaza and agreed to push for a two-state solution.<\/p>\n In a clarification on the EU\u2019s opinion on Israel and Palestine, the Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU\u2019s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell<\/a> wrote: \u201c1,400 dead in Israel would be equivalent to 67,000 dead in the EU. Hamas wanted to kill as many Jewish people as possible in a sort of jihadist pogrom, the most massive loss of life the country has suffered since its creation. If confirmation was needed that Hamas is a terrorist organisation, its recent actions provide it.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement fails to address the loss of lives the Palestinians have faced since, and according to the European metric, how many these lives would have been equivalent to. As an afterthought, it mentions that the \u201ctragic loss of Palestinian lives is also<\/em> heart-breaking\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are mourning the Israelis<\/em> who lost their life in horrible circumstances. We mourn also<\/em> Palestinian children<\/em> who are innocent victims of this conflict [emphasis added].\u201d<\/p>\n The statement reiterates the EU\u2019s commitment to push for a two-state solution, recognising that it has not done enough in the past and says, \u201cWe will intensify our effort, together with our partners in the region and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Qatar is not just a bystander \u2014 it is directly involved in negotiating between the parties and also hosts the exiled leadership of Hamas \u2014 the latter at the Americans\u2019 behest, it points out.<\/p>\n Over the last month, Qatar has helped broker the release of four Israeli hostages<\/a> kidnapped by Hamas fighters, while also helping negotiate permissions for foreigners to evacuate Gaza through the territory\u2019s border with Egypt.<\/p>\n Over the last several years, Qatar has aided Gaza through large cash transfers as well as fuel supplies. Historically, it has kept a pro-Palestine stance, even as it has played the role of a mediator between Israel and Palestine. During the recent escalation, the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani termed the international community\u2019s reactions<\/a> to Israel\u2019s bombing of civilians in Gaza \u201cshameful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe international community\u2019s reactions to the Israeli bombing of civilians in Gaza are not at the required level, and may sometimes be shameful,\u201d Al Thani told a joint news conference with his visiting French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Doha.<\/p>\n Another important aspect of Qatar\u2019s influence is the coverage of the state-owned AlJazeera Network<\/em>, which is one of the only broadcasters in the world to continue live coverage of Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza. The latter recently approved measures that could lead to a shutdown of Al Jazeera\u2019s operations in the country. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly asked Qatar\u2019s emir to tone down<\/a> Al Jazeera\u2019s<\/em> coverage of the carnage in Gaza.<\/p>\n Egypt is the first Arab country to officially recognise Israel as a state. Neighbouring Palestine, Egypt has watched the conflict with caution, occasionally issuing strong condemnations<\/a> of Israeli attacks targeting civilians.<\/p>\n Initially, it warned Israel against the call for evacuation from northern Gaza to the south, where the Rafah border between Palestine and Egypt is located. It also attempted to mediate between Israel and Hamas, urging the former to exercise restraint and the latter to not cause harm to hostages to keep the option of de-escalation open<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the same time, Egypt has been clear in its stance of not allowing refugees into the country, urging the matter be resolved through political means. Egypt has also on multiple attempts tried to broker an agreement to repatriate refugees from previous Israeli aggressions which have gone largely unheard.<\/p>\n Meeting with the US Secretary of State, President El-Sisi reiterated his position and termed the bombing of Gaza disproportionate and amounting to collective punishment<\/a>.<\/p>\n While it has provided aid to Gaza and has agreed to open the Rafah border to allow aid to flow into Palestine, the border remains closed to Palestinian refugees attempting to escape Gaza. Only recently, dual-nationals were allowed to cross the border to return to their countries of citizenship along with severely injured Palestinians requiring urgent medical aid.<\/p>\n The United Nations<\/h2>\n
The United States of America<\/h2>\n
China<\/h2>\n
Russia<\/h2>\n
The United Kingdom<\/h2>\n
Spain<\/h2>\n
France<\/h2>\n
Ireland<\/h2>\n
The European Union<\/h2>\n
Qatar<\/h2>\n
Egypt<\/h2>\n